Covered Bridge & Bridge Street Improvements Projects

We are in the home stretch of the Covered Bridge/Bridge Street improvement projects. The last parts of the work involve finishing the pedestrian bridge and tending to some final punch list items in preparation of closing out the job.   A final walk-through is scheduled for Thursday morning of next week. If all is satisfactory to the town and funding agencies, the project can be declared complete AND THE BRIDGE CAN BE RE-OPENED.   Plans for a ribbon-cutting are being considered.

Floodplain review of the extended abutments and wing wall is scheduled for the November 17 DRB meeting.

At Monday's meeting, the Selectboard voted to postpone a final decision until spring about whether the Town will pursue working with Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom to move their phone and cable lines to what is now a temporary pole on the Madsonian property.   If that was to happen, the recently-installed utility pole would ultimately be removed and the temporary pole further away from the bridge would become the permanent pole.   Factors that will need to be explored include but are not limited to expected costs, ability for additional fundraising, the need for additional poles, easements for additional poles, and impacts to the Madsonian driveway area.   Green Mountain Power agreed to delay the transfer of their lines from the temporary pole, but may need to install some additional supports to ensure system stability through the winter.

Bricks for Bridge Street are still available. Order forms can be picked up at the Town Office, can be download at Waitsfield Web Page, can be completed on-line through the Brick Markers Web site at www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html, or folks can call the Town Office at 496-2218 to have one (or more) mailed or e-mailed.   With the holidays coming up, they would make a great gift.

Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Things are finally shaping up as we get closer to the finish line. The remaining section of sidewalk from the Madsonian Museum will be completed this week. Rain in the forecast for Thursday and Friday will push the paving of Bridge Street into early next week. Also next week the new street lamps will be installed. Meanwhile, work is continuing on the wood framing and sheathing of the pedestrian bridge. Alpine Construction is using the inside of the Covered Bridge for their staging and woodworking area. The bridge will be reopened when their work is done, which is expected to be mid-November.

Upon further consideration, the Selectboard concluded that replacement of the entire Covered Bridge roof should wait until spring. This will give us time to explore most appropriate material and method to use. Much of the discussion to this point had focused on standing seam metal, but it turns out painted corrugated metal may be the preferred option. We will use this time to seek expert advice; get feedback from VTrans, the Division for Historic Preservation, and the Waitsfield DRB; find if we will receive a 50% grant; and solicit quotes for the spring project.

The Selectboard also approved Troy Kingsbury's permit application for a "Beer for Bernie" event on Bridge Street Saturday, November 28, 1:00-4:00pm to draw people into Bridge Street businesses to pick up coveted Heady Toppers, Lawson's Finest, and other craft brews. Stay tuned for more information about this event as the date draws near.

Bricks for Bridge Street are still available. Order forms can be picked up at the Town Office, can be download at Waitsfield Web Page , can be completed on-line through the Brick Markers Web site at www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html, or folks can call the Town Office at 496-2218 to have one (or more) mailed or e-mailed. With the holidays coming up, they would make a great gift.

Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Work on this year's Bridge Street and covered bridge construction project continued with the backfilling on the western abutment (on the north side) of the covered bridge being completed and rip rap placed around the front of the abutment.   All of the final grading of the roadway on Bridge Street should be completed by today, October 22, according to project engineer Chris Kaufman.   Work to complete the final section of sidewalk on the north side of Bridge Street from The Madsonian to the pedestrian walkway section of the covered bridge is scheduled for next Wednesday.   The paving of Bridge Street and the striping of it are expected to be completed by next Friday, October 30.

The bridge will not be opened until Alpine Construction completes their work.   The punch list for that work includes some work on the covered bridge fascia as well as cladding the pedestrian walkway and creating the structure to hold the roof.   Alpine Construction is staging their equipment and working inside the covered bridge.   Kaufman said that the completion of the sidewalk and the paving are weather dependent.   The contract runs through November 30, but Kaufman said they expect to be finished by mid-November.

Originally Alpine Construction was to shingle the new pedestrian walkway, but that has changed and the town is leaning toward having a metal roof replace the shingles and is awaiting bids and also a potential grant.

This week Kaufman and others worked with Myndy Woodruff, who owns the home and apartment on the uphill side of the bridge (south side), to remedy a guardrail that ended up extending into the front yard of the rental house.   The prior guardrail extended straight from the bridge, following the road.  The new guardrail, to comply with federal guidelines curved away from the bridge and into his yard.   The last post of the guardrail was removed, which satisfied Woodruff and the engineers and still met federal regulations.

In part because of the overwhelming response from people near and far who missed the opportunity to buy bricks this summer and because of new opportunities for enhancements, the Bridge Street beautification campaign has been reopened.  People can pick up an order form at the town office, call the town office to have one emailed, download the form at Waitsfield Web Page or go directly to the Brick Markers website, www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html.

Employees, business owners, property owners and contractors are reminded to park behind Village Grocery to maximize the marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.  Parking is also available on Main Street.

A Web page for regular updates is available at Waitsfield Web Page. Citizens can also be included in occasional direct email updates.

Questions, concerns or requests to be added to the email list should be directed to town administrator Valerie Capels at (802) 496-2218 or [email protected]. (Source: The Valley Reporter, 10/22/2015, p. 6)

The g.

The pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge arrived on October 1 and was quite a sight to see as it was hoisted over the Covered Bridge and seated into place later that afternoon.   Applause from the onlookers added to the excitement.   The decking has been installed and work will continue on adding the roof and wood siding.

All repairs of the abutments have been completed.   Guardrail installation is expected in the middle of next week.

The new wall extension continues to take shape on the west side of the Bridge.   The additional rebar needed was delivered on Monday, the footing was completed this week, and the forms for the new wall will be ready for the concrete pour early next week.   If the weather cooperates and all goes well, backfilling can occur the week of Oct. 19, followed by resetting of the utility pole and other utility work. The remainder of the sidewalk to the bridge is expected to be constructed during the week of October 26, followed by paving of Bridge Street.

A grant application seeking $20,000 toward installation of either a new cedar shingle or standing seam a roof on the bridge was submitted this week to the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. We should hear back about the award in late December. The Selectboard will be considering their options about how best to protect the pedestrian bridge roof through the winter at their meeting on Monday.

In part because of the overwhelming response from people near and far who missed the opportunity to buy bricks this summer and because of new opportunities for enhancements, the Bridge Street beautification campaign has been re-opened. It is not known yet how long this campaign will be available. People can pick up an order form at the Town Office, call the Town Office to have one e-mailed, download the form at Waitsfield Web Page , or go directly to the Brick Markers Web site http://www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html.

Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

The pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge is still on track for being delivered—and installed—on Thursday, October 1.   It will arrive on a flatbed truck in two pieces on the Joslin Hill side of Bridge Street. Residents within 150 feet of the bridge will not have access to their driveways during this time because the roadway will be occupied by the transport vehicle, sections of the bridge, and other equipment.   Space will be available for emergency vehicle access.   Assembly is expected to occur rather quickly.   Green Mountain Power will need to disconnect the power to at least one property to provide clear air space for the crane to lift the new bridge onto the new abutments.   Work will then shift to adding the new siding and roofing and other exterior work on the new bridge.   Upon reviewing the bids received for three different scenarios of roof replacement, the Selectboard voted to postpone installation of the new cedar shingles for this year to allow time to explore whether installation of standing seam metal for the entire bridge roof should be pursued instead. A protective material would be applied over the new pedestrian bridge roof instead of the cedar shingles to stabilize it through the winter.

Resident Engineer Chris Kaufman of John Turner Consulting met with the Selectboard on Monday, Sept. 28 with an update on various elements of the project.   We are pushing up against the end of the construction and paving season.   Paving cannot be completed until the new wing wall has been backfilled, the GMP pole has been re-set, and the rest of the sidewalk to the bridge has been constructed.   Worst case: the road would be paved up to the Madsonian driveway sometime the last week of October to ensure all the new catch basins are at grade with the new pavement so they can begin to receive stormwater; the rest of road to the bridge would be filled in with gravel or some other plowable material; and the paving, site restoration, and other punch list items would be completed next year. In any case, the bridge and road will be fully open to traffic by November 30.

Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Good news: the pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge is still on track for being delivered—and installed—on October 1. It will arrive on a flatbed truck in two pieces on the Joslin Hill side of Bridge Street. During this time, residents in that area will not have access to their driveways because the roadway will be occupied by the transport vehicle, sections of the bridge, and other equipment. Space will be available for emergency vehicle access. Once assembled, the bridge will be set on top of the new abutments by a crane the same day. There may be a short period of power interruption during this time. We will follow up on that after more information becomes available. Work will then shift to adding the new siding and roofing and other exterior work on the new bridge.

Not-so-good news: A new extension was found to be necessary to tie the new wing wall into the riverbank. This will add about two weeks to allow for building the forms, concrete pours, and curing of each section. If the weather cooperates, things could move along a bit more quickly. This pushes back being able to backfill, which affects when the GMP pole can be put back, which affects when the sidewalk can be completed to the bridge, which affects when the guardrail can be set, which affects when the street can be paved.

Roof: Quotes were solicited for various options for how to address the Covered Bridge roof and will be considered at Monday's Selectboard meeting. Whether to continue with cedar shingle or switch to standing seam metal roofing may depend on the quotes received by Friday.

Installation of the bricks continued through the week and wiring for the new lamp posts was completed. Still to come are the new lamp posts and new benches.

Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Good news: word has been received that delivery of the pre-fabricated bridge has been pushed up two weeks to Thursday, October 1—not October 15 as recently reported.   It will arrive on a flatbed truck in two pieces on the Joslin Hill side of Bridge Street.   During this time, residents in that vicinity will not have access to their driveways because the roadway will be completely occupied by the transport vehicle, and sections of the bridge, and other equipment.   Once assembled, it will be set on top of the new abutments by a crane all in the same day.   Work will then shift to adding the new siding and roofing and other exterior work on the new bridge.

Work also continues to progress quickly on the formation of the abutments.   Consequently, Alpine Construction will no longer be working on Fridays.   The Bridge Street Beautification Team will be assisting with other project elements, such as the appearance of fencing and/or guardrails off the new abutments.

Considerable concern has been expressed about the condition of the roof.   People climbing on it to jump off the bridge have contributed significantly to its deterioration.   We are exploring various options for replacement of the roof either as part of this project or lined up for the spring.   Whether to continue with cedar shingle or switch to standing seam metal roofing is being considered—a decision that will need to be made soon.   A 50/50 grant though the VT Division for Historic Preservation could be available for a spring project.

The GMP utility pole will be re-set by the bridge after the new bridge has been secured and the backfill of that abutment is nearly complete.   The sidewalk from the Madsonian Museum (www.madsonian.org) to the Bridge will be completed after the pole has been re-set.

Installation of the bricks last week, through the weekend, and into this week; removal of the orange caution tape; planting of new trees; placement of flower barrels at the head of the street; placement of mums on the exposed catch basins; and new welcoming signage have already transformed the appearance of Bridge Street significantly.   Still to come are the new street lights, new benches, and new pavement.

Though the street will need to remain closed to vehicles, access to the Bridge Street businesses is easier and more inviting.   Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Work is progressing on the formation of the abutments, with concrete pours able to occur every couple days and the cure time moving more quickly than expected.   Alpine Construction has added an additional person to their crew and are now working Fridays in an effort to gain on the schedule.

The GMP utility pole cannot be re-set by the bridge until the backfill of that abutment is nearly complete.   This is expected to occur around the second week of October.   The sidewalk from the Madsonian Museum (www.madsonian.org) to the Bridge will be completed after the pole has been re-set, followed by installation of the guardrail.

The delivery of the pre-fabricated sidewalk bridge has been pushed back to about October 15.   It will arrive on a flatbed truck in two pieces on the Joslin Hill side of Bridge Street.   That same day it will be assembled and lifted into place by a crane. It should be quite a spectacle.

Installation of the bricks began today, thanks to many volunteers.   This is expected to continue through the weekend and be completed by Monday.   Once the brick work is complete, the contractor has agreed to allow the orange tape to be removed along the sidewalks so the street will be more inviting to pedestrians.   Though the street will need to remain closed to vehicles, access to the Bridge Street businesses will be easier and more inviting from the front.   Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.   Parking is also available on Main Street.

Updated Schedule

Contractors are working on concrete pours on both the north and south abutments of the covered bridge this week.   The concrete pours must be spaced out enough to allow the concrete to cure properly.   The northern abutment will hold the seat for the pedestrian bridge. Resident engineer Chris Kaufman said that the abutment work had to be revised from the original plans because when contractors excavated the existing abutments they found that they could not get closer to the bridge as plans called for because of existing ledge and laid rocks.   "It was an unknown and it required us to regroup," Kaufman said.

This week contractors poured concrete for all eight streetlight bolts so that the bases can be fitted in place.   "Kingsbury is doing prep work grading the sub base on the street to get it ready to receive asphalt which will happen somewhere near the end of September or early October. Kingsbury has also been assisting with getting the area ready for brick laying on the sidewalk," he said.   Private citizens raised funds for the streetlights as well as decorative bricks, some engraved and some plain, to accent the sidewalk on both sides of the street.  Those bricks arrived last week and bricklaying will begin in another week or 10 days.  

The new pedestrian walkway for the covered bridge, which was originally supposed to be set mid-September, will now take place in October, possibly as late as the end of that month.   To rumors that the project was so far behind and that the bridge would not reopen until December, Kaufman said that was "absolutely not true."
(Source: The Valley Reporter, 09/03/2015, p. 7)

The sidewalk on the All Things Bright and Beautiful (www.allthingsbright.com) side of Bridge Street is complete up to the Madsonian Museum (www.madsonian.org) and is open for pedestrian access. The concrete pour of the sidewalk on the Walker Contemporary Gallery (www.walkercontemporary.com) and Artisan Gallery (www.vtartisangallery.com) side of Bridge Street will be completed to the Peasant Restaurant (www.peasantvt.com) by the end of the day Wednesday and will be open for public access by Friday of this week. The sidewalk section from the Madsonian to the Bridge will be installed after the abutment work and backfill has been completed.

The new bricks have been delivered and the process of laying them out along the completed sidewalks will begin in early September.

The second footing on the east side downstream bridge abutment has been poured. Forms are being made now for another pour next week. Meanwhile, forms are also being made for the first subfooting on the west side downstream abutment in preparation of the first pour next week.

According to current schedule estimates, the Covered Bridge is expected to remain closed until mid-October. An updated schedule from the contractor is expected next week.

Though the street will need to remain closed to vehicles, Bridge Street businesses are open and will easier access from the front. Employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Parking is also available on Main Street.

Most of the work these past few weeks has focused on the upstream retaining wall near the Peasant Restaurant and downstream abutments along the riverbank.   Unexpected subsurface conditions required additional rock removal and several redesigns of the abutments, each of which added more time to the efforts. This process is also taking a long time because the concrete pours for the abutments need to be done in stages, each requiring several days to cure before the next layer can be constructed.

Most of the curbing for the sidewalks has been re-set and pouring of the concrete sections could begin as early as Monday afternoon next week.   The sidewalk from the Joslin Library to the Madsonian Museum will be poured first and then from Walker Contemporary Gallery to Peasant Restaurant.   They will need to be protected and cured at least 24 hours before they can be opened for pedestrian use.   The sidewalks are expected to be substantially complete and ready for use by the end of this month.   The sidewalk section from the Madsonian Museum to the Bridge will be installed after the abutment work and backfill has been completed.   The project team is urging the public's cooperation to prevent mischief being done to the new sidewalks.   The engraved bricks are complete and are expected to arrive on site next week.   The new street lights have been ordered and are expected to arrive in 5 or 6 weeks.

A base coarse of pavement will be applied to the roadway in early September; however, the road will not be opened for vehicular access because of on-going hazards associated with heavy equipment maneuvers, exposed edges of the catch basins, areas of deep excavation, and other construction site conditions at each end of the Bridge.   The prefabricated sidewalk is expected to be delivered to the site by late-September.   According to current schedule estimates, the Covered Bridge is expected to remain closed until mid-October.

Alpine Construction, Town officials, and nearby property owners remain very concerned about the continued trespassing on and under the Covered Bridge and the dangerous conditions for anyone passing through the construction zone, climbing around the barricades, and jumping from the Bridge.   The Town is taking measures to increase enforcement of the No Trespassing orders, which may result in citations and fines.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.   The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

By the end of this week the subbase will have been installed on 75% of the road and sidewalks and sonotubes for the new street lights have been installed. The curbing is expected to be delivered to the site by Wednesday of next week.   Once installed, work will begin on final grading for the sidewalks and preparations for the concrete. Pedestrian access is expected to be restored to the Bridge Street shops as the sidewalks are completed, which may not be for another couple weeks.

Because of the on-going heavy equipment work on both sides of the bridge for the abutment and retaining wall work, the contractor is not yet able to say when pedestrian access will be restored through the Covered Bridge.   The unexpected subsurface conditions encountered required additional re-designs of the abutments and retaining wall after the method of removing the additional rock originally contemplated (chemical blasting) proved to be prohibitively costly. Work on the northwest retaining wall and the southwest abutment should be ready to move forward. More consideration will be given to the northeast and southeast wing walls this coming week.

GMP replaced the two deteriorated utility poles on the southwest side of Bridge Street this week.

The fundraising effort for the Bridge Street enhancements was a spectacular success, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of so many people. Special thanks to AnneMarie DeFreest, Barbara Gulisano, Peter Edlund, and Vince Gauthier for their efforts to enhance the above-ground infrastructure, and to Dave Sellers for his efforts to enhance the below-ground infrastructure.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Work on Waitsfield's Bridge Street and covered bridge construction project continues.  Chris Kaufman, resident engineer for the Town, reported that in the past week contractors have placed the sub-base gravel for about 75 percent of the roadway. This is the base gravel that the pavement will sit on. At press time, contractors were reinstalling the granite curbing that was removed at the start of the project to accommodate the work. He said that work on installing the sidewalk on the north and south sides of the street will begin in the next week or two weeks. That part of the project will include the decorative engraved accent bricks that local residents organized, funded and purchased.

Work on the northwest retaining wall, the wall that runs adjacent to the pocket park area, is under way this week.  That wall is being poured in multiple phases and should be done sometime next week, after which it will be backfilled.  Contractors are continuing to repair and patch the deteriorated concrete on the north abutment which should be completed in next couple of weeks.  Then they have two wing walls that will be part of the structural support for the pedestrian bridge to complete.  The pedestrian bridge will be delivered and installed in mid-September and the paving will follow.

Kaufman said that the project should be finished and the bridge reopened in mid-October.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners and contractors are reminded to park behind Village Grocery to maximize the marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Installation of the 1" conduit for the new lights is substantially complete and work on the reconstruction of the road is underway. Rain storms have continued to complicate the work schedule. Unexpected subsurface conditions were encountered, which has required complicated re-design of the abutments and retaining wall that is expected to be resolved this week. Additional rock was also encountered that will need to be removed. Despite all this, progress is generally on track.

Curbing is expected to be installed beginning in mid-August, followed by construction of the sidewalks. Installation of the new prefabricated sidewalk, new siding, and roof is expected to begin late-September. More information should be available in the next update about when pedestrian and vehicular access on the bridge might be restored.

Additional FEMA funding is in the process of being sought to cover costs associated with the retaining wall by the pocket park.

Vandalism at the Bridge Street Marketplace and trespassing on the bridge continue to be a problem. The business and property owners are coping with enough disruption without having thoughtless mischief-makers contribute to it. Law enforcement officials have been notified and will be monitoring the area.

The deadline for purchasing Bricks for Bridge Street is July 23. Order forms for bricks are available at the Waitsfield Town Office or they can be purchased through www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html. Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1). Contact AnneMarie DeFreest at [email protected] or Barbara Gulisano at [email protected] for more information.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

The good news is that the Mad Marathon went through Bridge Street and the Covered Bridge site without a hitch or mishap. Many thanks to Alpine Construction and Kingsbury Construction for their efforts to accommodate this event through their construction site.

Work is now focused on preparation for constructing the abutments and retaining walls. As with most excavation work, the engineers and contractors cannot be sure what will be encountered until they get there. Some unexpected conditions were encountered, which has required reevaluation and adjustments.

Manufacture of the pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge is underway and the preliminary date for delivery is expected to be September 14. More information about that will be available as the date draws nearer. Installation will be an interesting process involving a crane lifting it into position onto the new, extended abutments.

The Selectboard approved final details for the street lighting plan on Monday, subject to updated cost estimates, and efforts are underway to quickly synchronize these plans with the contractor's schedule for installation of the conduit, which will be the next step before the light bases and curbs can be installed and the sidewalks restored.

The deadline for purchasing Bricks for Bridge Street is July 23. Order forms for bricks are available at the Waitsfield Town Office or they can be purchased through www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html. Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1). Contact AnneMarie DeFreest at [email protected] or Barbara Gulisano at [email protected] for more information.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Kingsbury Construction completed the installation of the all the catch basins this week and turned attention to readying the area for Sunday's Mad Marathon.   Alpine Construction completed installation of the new deck this week and has been filling the bolt holes with a material called mastic.   They will begin the abutment repair work through Thursday and return to it in earnest beginning next week.

The bridge will be open though the weekend for pedestrian access only but will need to be closed again on Monday because the abutment work will require major excavation on each side of the bridge.

Final details for the various Bridge Street enhancements will be considered at Monday's Selectboard meeting (which will be held at the Waitsfield Elementary School). The deadline for purchasing Bricks for Bridge Street is July 23.   Order forms for bricks are available at the Waitsfield Town Office or they can be purchased through www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html.   Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1).   Contact AnneMarie DeFreest at [email protected] or Barbara Gulisano at [email protected] for more information.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.   The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

The two deepest catch basins have been installed.   The remaining two, which will not be as deep, could be completed by next Tuesday if the weather decides to cooperate.   Some unexpected encounters with other below ground infrastructure this week presented some challenges but were resolved.

Kingsbury Construction intends to have Bridge Street cleaned up and ready for the July 12 Mad Marathon by Wednesday and will be off the site the rest of the week.   Alpine Construction expects to be finished with the new deck and will begin abutment work under the bridge through Thursday. Pedestrian access through the bridge will be possible during this time before and for short period after the event.   The abutment work will require deep excavation on each side of the bridge, which will require it be closed again to the public for a while longer.

The Bricks for Bridge Street fundraising campaign is in full swing and the Web site through which to buy bricks went live on Friday: www.brickmarkers.com/donors/waitsfield.html.  Order forms for bricks are also available at the Waitsfield Town Office.   Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1).   Contact AnneMarie DeFreest at [email protected] or Barbara Gulisano at [email protected] for more information.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Removal of the ledge was completed and work progressed on installation of the 2nd catch basin and laying the stormwater pipe. If the rain continues to hold off, work will proceed more quickly on construction of the rest of the system. Installation of the new decking is also proceeding well and is expected to be completed in time for the Mad Marathon. With the Selectboard's endorsement of the Bridge Street enhancements, fundraising is in full swing to pay for the brick paver, street lighting, and bench enhancements. Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1). For more information, contact AnneMarie DeFreest at [email protected] or Barbara Gulisano at [email protected].

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Rain this past week continued to hamper progress on installation of the catch basin, ledge removal, and pipe installation at the east end of this section of Bridge Street. Ledge removal may need to continue through the end of this week. With more rain predicted next week, work on the stormwater system may be further delayed. No further excavation is planned until the ledge is sufficiently removed and the outfall pipe has been installed. The good news is that installation of the new bridge decking is moving along. The contractor is in the process of preparing an updated schedule.

The citizen group working to enhance the sidewalks with brick accents and include street lighting and new trees made a compelling presentation to the Selectboard at their meeting on Monday. The video is available on-line at www.mrvtv.com; the presentation begins at the 80 minute mark. Following discussion about the status of the fundraising campaign, the Selectboard voted to approve the inclusion of these elements into the plan. Donations from citizens who contribute to the Town of Waitsfield for a public purpose can be deducted as charitable contributions under IRS code Section 170(c)(1). Next steps will be to work out the coordination logistics with the contractors and suppliers and set up a new account to manage the donations and expenses associated with these new elements.

The Selectboard also received information about the possibility of including conduit for the future relocation of the overhead utilities but more information will be needed for them to consider it further at their special meeting on June 22.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are urged to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. The No Parking signs on Route 100 only apply during the winter months, so on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

The soils did dry just enough Wednesday and Thursday for excavation to continue. There will be no excavation or bridge work today; however, ledge removal to accommodate the new outfall pipe will require on-and-off drilling today and probably into early next week.

More rain this past week continued to hamper progress on installation of the catch basin, ledge removal, and pipe installation at the east end of this section of Bridge Street, but progress is being made. The soils will need to dry out a bit more before the excavation work can proceed in earnest. Ledge removal to accommodate the new outfall pipe will require on-and-off drilling for about three days. Once that end of the stormwater project is completed, installation of the system toward Main Street is expected to proceed more quickly.

The cantilevered sidewalk has been removed and efforts are now focused on replacing the rotted beams and the decking on the bridge. The new beams needed to replace the additional rotted beams have been approved and ordered.

The electronic message boards have been removed and the static signs have been installed.

Reports of trespassing and vandalism have decreased, which is welcome news. We are grateful for the community's cooperation to help ensure citizens' safety and protect public and private property.

The citizen group working to enhance the sidewalks with brick accents and include more fully formed street lighting infrastructure will be presenting their information to the Selectboard this coming Monday. The Selectboard will need to decide at that meeting or at their special meeting on June 22 whether to approve those adjustments in order for those changes to be integrated into the project plans and schedule. Key issues will include impacts of winter conditions and plowing on the brick, consideration of stamped concrete alternatives, ADA compatibility, materials availability, where the funding will come from, and when it would be available.

Reminder: Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are urged to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. Though the No Parking signs are misleading because the restrictions apply only to the winter months, on-street parking is also available on Main Street.

Questions, concerns, or requests to be added to the e-mail notification list should be directed to Town Administrator Valerie Capels at (802) 496-2218 or [email protected].

The recent rains put a damper on the excavation work on Bridge Street this week, but work on the sidewalk and bridge deck deconstruction continued.   Kingsbury Construction resumed work on Tuesday to begin installing the new catch basin and pipe at the east end of Bridge Street.   Ledge removal in that area will likely continue through the rest of this week.

Removal of the bridge decking is revealing more decay on the beams than was expected.   Efforts are underway to assess the extent of the additional decay and to ensure additional beams can be secured.

State police were called to the site over the weekend in response to reports of trespassing and vandalism on and around the bridge.   While neither the Selectboard nor area property owners want to prevent citizens from swimming in and otherwise enjoying the river, climbing on the bridge and destruction of public property cannot be tolerated.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are reminded to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.   On-street parking is also available on Main Street.

The Covered Bridge was officially closed to pedestrian access on Wednesday morning, May 27, and will remain closed at least through mid-July.   Demolition of the sidewalk, roof, and decking has begun. Major excavation is expected to begin on Thursday to begin removing ledge at the stormwater pipe outfall.   Work did not begin on Tuesday as intended because the threat of severe thunder storms on Wednesday would have interfered with the excavation work necessary.

Kingsbury Construction, the subcontractor handling the Bridge Street work, intends to work 8 to 10-hour days Monday through Thursday and mornings on Fridays.   They intend to have the site cleaned up and quiet in time for the weekend. Alpine Construction intends to maintain 10-hour days Monday through Thursday.

The job trailer was set up on Tuesday morning on east side of the bridge near the condo's mailboxes.   The Covered Bridge is now a full-fledged construction zone and No Trespassing signs have been installed on and under it.

A group of citizens has come together to explore opportunities to incorporate new streetscape elements to beautify Bridge Street.   The installation of brick bands along each side of the new sidewalks is being considered as well as provisions for additional street lighting on both sides of the street.   The project plans include underground conduit for future street lighting, but the details of their locations and design had not been pinned down.   The Selectboard expressed support for replacing the four trees on the south side of the street with hardier species.   Cost estimates are in the process of being obtained and the Selectboard will be discussing the options at upcoming meetings.

Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, property owners, and contractors are encouraged to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers. On-street parking is also available on Main Street.

No work today, Friday, or Monday.  Bridge Street shops are OPEN.  Pedestrian access across the bridge will be available through the long weekend.  Parking is available in the municipal lot at the top of Bridge Street and at the Bridge Street Marketplace.

The closure of Bridge Street did begin on Monday and Green Mountain Power completed its work to transfer their lines to the taller, temporary pole.  Waitsfield Champlain Valley Telecom completed their work on Tuesday to remove their lines from the old pole and the old pole has been removed.  Thank you to Brian Dooley of GMP and Jim Urquhart of WCVT and their teams for getting that done so quickly. 

The electronic signs were updated to announce that the Village Bridge is closed and the shops are open.   They will be replaced at the end of the month with static signs with a similar message.

Kingsbury Construction conducted exploratory digs to assess subsurface conditions.  Ledge was encountered in the pathway of the new 24” stormwater pipe outlet.  Options are being explored for either ledge removal or realignment of the pipe.  Most of the asphalt surface has been removed. 

Work will end this week after today.  The site will be cleaned up for the long weekend Thursday through Monday. 

Work will resume Tuesday, May 26.  The job trailer is expected to be delivered late Tuesday morning and will be placed on east side of the bridge near the condo’s mailboxes.   

Pedestrian access across the bridge will remain open through the weekend.   It must be closed beginning next week so that demolition of the sidewalk and decking can begin.  Kingsbury Construction will resume their excavation work and installation of the new stormwater system may begin later in the week.

A parking plan is in the process of being published.  Bridge Street and nearby employees, business owners, and property owners are urged to park behind the Village Grocery to maximize the Marketplace and municipal lot parking spaces available for customers.   Thank you to VG owner Troy Kingsbury for making this available.  A pull-off area at the top of Bridge Street has been made available for deliveries.  Additional parking and Bridge Closed signage is in the process of being developed. 

Motorists: Please take note that the Town has asked the Washington County Sheriff to increase patrols along the detour route to help ensure everyone is traveling safely. 

A Web page for regular updates is available at Waitsfield Web Page.  Updates will also be provided on Facebook and Front Porch Forum.

Questions or concerns should be directed to Town Administrator Valerie Capels at (802) 496-2218 or [email protected].

Bridge Street is now closed.  GMP will be completing their line transfer today.  WCVT will then move their lines in the next day or so, depending on the weather.  Additional "Road Closed" signs will be placed on East Warren Road.  The job trailer will be installed later this week after all the line work is done.  We learned this morning the contractor will be closing the bridge to pedestrian access at the end of THIS week so they can begin dismantling the bridge.

The temporary pole was set successfully set on Thursday and the GMP crew is working now to transfer their lines.  No power interruption is expected except for the one commercial 3-phase connection.  The work is expected to continue into Saturday.

After an unexpected diversion for GMP on Tuesday, setting of the new temporary utility pole is expected to begin today, Thursday, May 14. Once set, GMP and WCVT will coordinate to transfer their lines from the existing pole to the temporary pole. If all goes well for setting the temporary pole, GMP hopes to begin transfer of their lines today or tomorrow. The street will remain during this process, though there may be a number of utility trucks around. There may be brief interruptions of power during the power line transfer. More information to follow. .

A link to a Web page for regular updates will be posted at Waitsfield Web Page by Friday.

The setting of the new temporary utility pole is expected to begin Tuesday, May 12. Once set, GMP and WCVT will coordinate to transfer their lines from the existing pole to the temporary pole. The whole process may take one to two weeks. The street will remain open this week during this process, though there may be a number of utility trucks around. The schedule for the power line transfer will be posted when known so power customers can prepare for potential, brief interruptions of power.

A link to a Web page for regular updates will be posted at Waitsfield Web Page sometime this week.

Community Information / Strategy meeting at the United Church of Christ meeting room.

• Meeting Notes

E-mail to Bridge Street Businesses, Property Owners, Neighbors, and others interested in the Covered Bridge and Bridge Street improvement projects:

An informational and strategy meeting will be held Wednesday morning, 8:30am, at the Fellowship Hall in the lower level of the United Church of Christ to discuss the details and schedule for the Covered Bridge rehab and Bridge Street improvement projects and strategize how we can support Bridge Street and other businesses during this time. Closing Bridge Street for any length of time is an inconvenience to many people and businesses; however, that that plus the construction disruption will have a more direct effect on Bridge Street businesses. What can we do to minimize the impacts?

A project meeting was held yesterday morning and a new schedule was reviewed. Updates:

• The temporary relocation of the utility pole northward of the Covered Bridge remains a conundrum. Green Mountain Power needs to core out a socket in the bedrock in which to secure the base of the temporary pole, but the distance to the bedrock was greater than expected. They need to secure a 70-foot pole and do more extensive excavation at the top of the bank so the drill machine can reach the bedrock. The pole needs to be set first and then GMP and WCVT will need to transfer their lines from the existing pole. The existing pole will then be removed for the duration of the project. The whole process may take a couple weeks. There may be some power disruption during the line transfers. We will give as much advance notice as possible.
• Bridge Street will be closed to traffic beginning May 18 rather than May 11. The message boards will be updated to reflect the change.
• Pedestrian access across the bridge one way or another will be available through mid-June.
• The ash tree on the east side of the Covered Bridge has been taken down.
• The street and bridge will be opened to pedestrian traffic only July 8 – July 12 to accommodate the Mad Marathon.

Attached for reference is a PDF of the first e-mail I send out a couple days ago.

As I noted before, I do not usually disclose e-mail addresses in a broad distribution, but am again in this case so folks can see whether it should be forwarded to others or who else should be included in future updates. Various boards and commissions are also included by blind copy. Please let me know if you wish to be removed from the list.

E-mail to Bridge Street Businesses, Property Owners, Neighbors, and others interested in the Covered Bridge and Bridge Street improvement projects:
As many of you are aware, the Covered Bridge rehab and Bridge Street improvements projects are finally going to happen this year. They need to: the weight of the cantilevered sidewalk is causing the bridge to "rack" or twist; the bridge decking must be replaced; the roof must be replaced; the abutments must be repaired; the retaining wall destroyed by Tropical Storm Irene must be fixed; and the entire stormwater system below the street must be replaced. These are matters of public health, safety, and maintenance of critical infrastructure and can no longer be postponed.

Last summer before the project was put out to bid the first time, the MRV Chamber and the Town hosted a meeting with Bridge Street and Marketplace businesses to address a wide range of concerns, including timing of the Bridge Street closure(s), impacts of construction disruption, various construction details, strategies to support the business community, and more. We learned a lot, including how vitally important the month of August is through Columbus Day. The low bid came in higher than the funds we had at the time and the project could not go forward. Since then, we received additional grant funding for the stormwater component and voters authorized borrowing up to $400,000 at the March 3, 2015 Town Meeting. FEMA funding for the retaining wall repair goes away if it is not completed by September 1, 2015. EPA grant funds for the stormwater system will go away if the project is not completed by December 31, 2015.

The project was advertised for construction this past winter. The bid specs called for total project completion by July 31. Though the Selectboard accepted the low bid from Alpine Construction in January, a contract could not be executed until after voters approved the bond article at the March 3, 2015 Town Meeting. This caused a 2-month delay in the contractor's ability to order materials and line up all the other necessary logistics. The first pre-construction meeting was held in March. Among other things, the following matters were discussed that would require further attention:

• the metal sidewalk structure was backordered, which meant the July 31 deadline could not be met;
• the project schedule had not factored the Mad Marathon event passing through Bridge Street on Sunday, July 12 and would need to be revised;
• the contractor would need to obtain state approval to do any work in or near the water before July 1;
• the contractor would need to obtain a VTrans permit to place signs in the Route 100 ROW;
• the utility pole by the bridge could not be "held" in place by GMP as was the original plan but would need to be temporarily relocated northward along the top of the riverbank;
• the shift in alignment of the overhead wires away from the bridge would put them through the center of the ash tree's canopy on the other side of the bridge. The GMP arborist did not see of any way to avoid killing the tree and it will need to be removed. The Selectboard authorized a replacement tree through the Street Tree Reserve Fund.

The contractor had a lot of homework to do and a second pre-construction project meeting was held on April 28. Originally planned to be held at the Town Office, I changed the location to the Wait House so Chamber representatives, who are new to the project since Susan Klein's departure last year, could be brought up to speed and help lend support to the Town and community as we get through this project. I also invited representatives from the Mad Marathon to the project meeting so that everyone could be on the same page about what was needed to accommodate this major event. The contractor had prepared a revised schedule that was again obsolete by the end of the meeting.

Here is an update of what I know:

• An updated schedule is expected to be provided on Monday, May 4.
• The contractor will be in town on Monday, May 4 to place message boards on Route 100 and start placing road signs along the detour route, which will take two to three days.
• The main bridge and roadway will be closed beginning the week of May 11 and demolition of the bridge deck will begin.
• Kingsbury Construction has been hired for the excavation and stormwater work, which will also begin the week of May 11.
• The contractor would like to remove the pedestrian bridge during this time, but I am exploring whether that can be delayed without impacts to the schedule or project costs to maintain pedestrian access across the river for as long as possible.
• The job trailer and port-o-let will be located on the east (Warren) side of the bridge near the Condo mailboxes.
• When the utility pole can be relocated significantly impacts the timing and sequencing of other aspects of the project. At last Tuesday's project meeting, it was uncertain whether everything could be in place for the pole to be moved as early as Thursday of last week. Things did fall into place and efforts were made to move the pole on Thursday, but complications arose. An alternative plan will be considered on Monday, May 4.
• Work on the abutments will begin after July 15, so ANR and Corps of Engineers approval to work in or near the river sooner will not be necessary.
• The contractors intend to work four 10-hour days Mon. – Thurs. and have the area buttoned up for the weekends Fri. – Sun.

Why all this detail? There have been many moving parts to this project, particularly over these past few weeks, which has made it a challenge to nail down a schedule and send out useful and timely information. I also want to identify some of the essential variables we need to work around. Going forward, I intend to provide frequent updates as the project progresses. Some have also questioned why other businesses were not invited to the April 28 meeting. It was a project meeting with a limited scope to focus on the project details, procedures, and other logistics, which were substantially affected by the nature of the Marathon and how to safely funnel 1,000+ people through a construction zone with no pavement.

I would like to schedule an informational and strategy meeting one morning this week ASAP with Bridge Street and Marketplace business people, Chamber representatives, and anyone else who wants to be involved to revisit strategies that we can work together to support businesses and residents during this time and have this project move toward completion and quickly and smoothly as possible. I would like to aim for Tuesday or Wednesday 8:30am or 9:00am and will see if the Fellowship Hall in the United Church of Christ basement will be available. I expect to have more information after Monday morning and whether the contractor will be able to attend a meeting a morning this week.

I appreciate the Chamber's efforts to get information out quickly, broadly, and constructively. I don't usually disclose e-mail addresses in a broad distribution, but did in this case so folks can see whether it should be forwarded to others or who else should be included in future updates. Also, please let me know if you wish to be removed from the list.